Regulations.gov overhaul aims to provide better access

Duncan Brown, EPA's branch chief for the eRulemaking Program

Regulations.gov has undergone a makeover. The redesigned website, a repository of the regulations issued by the federal government that allows members of the public to view and comment on them, provides a "new look and feel," said Duncan Brown, the Environmental Protection Agency's branch chief for the eRulemaking Program.

The eRulemaking program promotes better rulemaking by involving the public in the process.

Brown told In Depth with Francis Rose the site's redesigners looked to Amazon and eBay for ways to overhaul the site and make it more user-friendly.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, headed by Cass Sunstein, also provided input into the redesign. Writing on the Office of Management and Budget blog, Sunstein cited the website's "innovative new search tools, social media connections and better access to regulatory data."

"The result is a significantly improved website that will help members of the public to engage with agencies and ultimately to improve the content of rules," Sunstein wrote.